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Deer damage prompts hunting request in Aberdeen

ABERDEEN (AP) — Residents in parts of Aberdeen say deer are causing hundreds of dollars in property damage and that they want the city to consider limited hunting to deal with the nuisance.

Deer in the Rolling Hills subdivision are feeding on trees and bushes, rubbing bark off trees and eating garden vegetables and plants. Diane O'Connor estimates that she has lost about $1,000 worth of trees to the deer.

Bill Winter, who lives near a golf course, told the American News that his neighbors have tried many methods of deterring deer but that the animals remain a problem.

"People have given up on gardens because of them," he said.

Bill Bowen, who lives in the subdivision, said he plans to approach the City Council about the possibility of hunting within city limits.

"If the deer get hunting pressure, it would harvest a few and make them more skittish," he said.

Deer hunting in Aberdeen would not be unique. Other cities including Sioux Falls and Rapid City have limited hunts to reduce urban deer populations.